Alexandeb hamilton stephens



(N0 ModelJ A. H. STEPHENS.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 340,897. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

mvnmron: J 26 BY m l ATTORNEYS.

k Firms Phc'wLilhomphzn Washinglu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-CO SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed November 7, 1885. Serial No. 182,127.

UPLING.

Patent No. 340,897, dated April 27,1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEPHENs,of Thompsons Station, in the county of 'Williamson and State of Tennessee, ilEWG invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a description.

This invention is an improvement in carcouplings; and it consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View, Fig. 2 a top plan view, and Fig. 3 a front end view, of my improvement; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the draw-head cut on one side of the draw-bar, parts being broken to show one of the grapples and the recess in the draw-head into which such grapple projects, as will be described, the coupled position of the parts being indicated in dotted lines.

The draw-head A is formed with a mouth, B, and a mortise, 0, extended longitudinally from the inner end of the month. This mortise is recessed at c in its side, and such recess extends and opens at its forward end into and partially along the mouth B. The rear end of the recess is narrower, to receive the stop extension of the grapple hereinafter described. A transverse mortise, D, is formed through the draw-head and intersects the mortise 0, between the ends of the latter, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4:.

It is preferred to form the draw head with two recesses, c, and to provide the draw-bar, presently described,with two grapples, as shown, in order that the device may couple with cars of different heights; but, manifestly, the use of a single grapple and a corresponding construction of the draw-head would involve no departure from the broad principle of my invention.

At its outer end the mortise G is enlarged at E, providing a way for the link F. The draw-bar G is preferably spring-supported, as shown, and provided with an elongated opening, h, for the rod H, which prevents withdrawal of the bar G from the draw-head. A notch, g, is formed in the upper edge of the draw-bar, and is movable into register with the transverse mortise of the draw-head. In this mortise is placed a detent, I, consisting of a bar which may be raised entirely within the transverse mortise, or be lowered partially into notch y when the latter registers with the mortise. \Vhen inthe notch g, the detent operates to retain the draw-bar in the position to which it is forced by the engagement of a link from a meeting coupling. and when raised the detent releases the draw-bar. The detent may be lowered by its gravity and raised by hand; but such results are preferably accomplished by means of the spring and the lever mechanism, as shown.

form the spring J of a rod of metal bent, forming a bail,whieh extends across the top of the draw-head, and its arms are passed under studs j on the draw-head and have their extremities engaged upon the ends of the detent which project laterally beyond the draw-head. This spring, as will be seen, gives the detent normally a downward tension. Lever-arms K are pivoted between their ends to the drawhead, and have one end engaged under the end detent, and their other ends connected with the arms of a trippingrod, L, which is bifurcated to form such arms. At its forward end the drawbar is provided with a side groove, m, in register with the recess a of the draw-head, and adapted to receive the body of the grapple M. This grapple is pivoted at or near its forward end in the groove m, and is formed with a hook, 1, at its forward end, a trip projection, 2, in rear of said hook, and a stop-extension, 3, projected rearwardly beyond the trip. The stop limits the forward movement of the outer end of the grapple and prevents its moving forward out of position for proper engagement by an approaching link.

In operation, when the parts are as shown in Fig. 4 an approaching link will strike the trip 2, and adjust the grapple parallel with the draw bar, and the latter will then be pushed back until its notch is in position to receive the detent,which is forced therein and retains the bar in such. The grapple thus is held by its stop-extension projecting into the shallow rear portion of the recess 0, and the link is firmly held. To uncouple, it is only necessary to raise the detent, when the bar will adjust forward and eject the link.

The construction, it will be noticed, is simple, and by it I accomplish an automatic coupling and an uncoupling of parts without in- IOO volving the necessity of the operator going between the cars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. The combination of the draw-head having a mouth, and provided with recess 0, extended from the inner end of said mouth, the longitudinally-movable draw-bar, and a grapple, lVI, pivoted at its forward end to the drawbar and having a trip projection and a stopeXtension adapted to enter the recess 0 when the draw-bar is forced inward, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the draw-head, the draw-bar, the detent, and the lever mechanism for releasing such detent, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the draw-head, the draw-bar, the detent having its ends projected beyond the draw-head, and the spring having a bail extended across the draw-head and its ends or arms engaging the ends of the detent, substantially as set forth.

at. A draw-head having a mouth, B, mortise (l, recess 0, and groove E, combined with a drawbar having a groove, m, and a grapple, M, pivoted in said groove, and havinga hook, 1, a projection, 2, and an extension, 3, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a car-coi1pling,wit-h a drawhead having an internal longitudinal groove, of a draw-bar and a grapple pivoted thereto and projecting into said groove, substantial] y as set forth.

6. In a carcoupler, the combination of a draw-head having a recess, a, a draw-bar supported and movable longitudinally in said draw-head, agrapple pivoted to the draw-bar and having a hook, a trip projection and a stop-extension, the latter being adapted to en ter the recess 0 when the draw-bar is forced inward, and detent mechanism whereby to secure the draw-bar when it is forced inward, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car coupler, the combination, with a draw-head, a draw-bar movable longitudinally therein, and detent mechanism whereby to secure said draw-bar when it is forced in-' ward, of a grapple pivoted to the draw-bar and adapted to secure a link, said grapple being provided with a trip projection arranged and adapted to receive the impact or blow of the link, whereby the grapple and draw-bar will both be adjusted to locked position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head, the draw-bar, the detent, the lever-arms pivoted to the draw-head and having their rear ends arranged to engage the detent, and the tripping-rod having its end bifurcated and connected with the lever-arms, substantially as set forth.

9. A draw-head having a mouth provided with a groove, E, and provided with a recess, 0, combined with the longitudinallymovable draw-bar and a grapple pivoted thereto and having a stop-extension arranged to enter recess c in the coupled position of the parts, or abut the forward wall of groove E when such parts are uncoupled, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the draw-head having a transverse and a longitudinal mortise, the draw-bar placed in the longitudinal mortise and having a notch movable into register with the transverse mortise, and a detent placed in the transverse mortise and movable into the draw-bar notch when the latter is registered with such mortise, substantially as set forth.

11. A car-coupling comprising the drawhead having-a mouth and a mortise extended longitudinally from the inner end of same and having the wall of said mortise recessed to re ceive the grapple and enlarged at its outer end to form a way for the link, the draw-bar, and the grapple, substantially as set forth.

12. The improvement in car-couplings, substantially as herein described and shown, con' sisting of the draw-head having a mouth and a mortise extended therefrom, and having a recessed wall and a transverse mortise intersecting such mortise, the draw-bar having a notch movable into register with the transverse mortise,the grapple pivoted to the drawbar, the detent located in the transverse inortise of and extended laterally beyond the drawhead, the spring bearing upon the ends of the detent, the lever-arms pivoted to the drawhead and arranged to engage such lever-arms, and the tripping-rod having its end bifurcated and connected with the lever-arms, substantially as set forth.

ALEXANDER- HAMILTON STEPHENS.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. GAYER, E. E. GREEN. 

